Digital Security Checklists for Activists
Plain language steps for digital security. Because protecting yourself helps keep your whole community safer.
Everyone should do these
All 3 checklistsGoing out: protests, ICE watch, actions, travel
All 5 checklistsProtect yourself from being targeted
All 4 checklistsOrganizing others
All 2 checklistsSimple guides to keep us more safe
We built this because digital security shouldn't be overwhelming. We take a harm reduction approach: start where you are and do what you can.
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Common Misconceptions
When we start talking about digital security, we often hear these concerns. We think there's more to the story.
The more engaged you are in any social movement work, the more your data can be used to map networks of activists. The best time to start protecting yourself is before you're as deeply involved.
While data collection is widespread, you can significantly reduce your digital footprint and protect future activities.
Mass surveillance affects everyone. Your data can be used to profile communities, predict protests, or target those you care about. Protecting your communications helps protect all of us.
Latest Surveillance News
View all newsICE Planning $100 Million ‘Nightmare’ Domestic Spy Program - The American Prospect• The American Prospect
Feds Got Warrants to Use Fake Cell Towers to Hunt Down Don Lemon’s Producer• WIRED
Feds Charged Activists Just Before Major Anti-ICE Protest in a Tiny Vermont Town• The Intercept
Tools we built
See all toolsFree tools we made to go along with the checklists, for the steps that are hard to finish on your own.
Recent Site Updates
View all updatesAdded ad blocking to the spyware checklist after Citizen Lab found spyware being delivered through ordinary online ads, with no click needed.
New page: Tools we built. One place for the four free tools that came out of these checklists: Risk Mapper for planning an action, Social Scrub for locking down your social accounts, the security update checker, and a Chrome extension that clears out old AI chats.
New page: VPNs for activists. Info on when a VPN is useful and when it is not. What are the trade offs. And which VPN to use.
New page: WhatsApp Security Checklist. Step by step settings to lock down backups, groups, AI features, and notifications, plus what Meta can still hand over to law enforcement and when to move the conversation to Signal.
Added a warrant canary to the site and updated our privacy policy with information about how we respond to legal demands.